#139: Angel In My Pocket by One To One

City: Ottawa, ON
Radio Station: CFRA
Peak Month: June-July 1986
Peak Position in Ottawa ~ #6
Peak position in Vancouver ~ #25
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #92
YouTube: “Angel In My Pocket”
Lyrics: “Angel In My Pocket”

One To One were a band that formed in Ottawa, Ontario, in 1984. It consisted of vocalist Louise Reny and producer/multi-instrumentalist Leslie Howe. The duo had been in a local rock band since the mid-70s called Mainstream. Tired of playing covers of 60’s, 70’s and 80’s pop tunes, Reny and Howe were inspired to collaborate and release original material. In late 1985 they released “There Was A Time“. The song climbed to #1 on CFRA-AM in Ottawa, and #14 on the Canadian RPM singles chart. According to Canadian Bands.com, the single made the Top 20 in several European record markets.

In the spring of 1986, One To One released “Angel In My Pocket“.

“Angel In My Pocket” was written by Howe and Reny. The lyrics tell the singer has been “living on the edge of time.” They’ve been given a “second chance” ever since they found an angel and put them in their pocket. A “second chance” is another opportunity to do something, have an experience you previously passed over, or to prove one’s ability or worth. The angel takes the singer to “freedom” and “fortune.” The angel holds the secrets of the angel, and “knows the truth” in relation to what is true for the angel keeper. Since ancient times, angels have been believed to be manifestations of God and appear as light and often in human form. They can be vengeful or merciful, bring warnings or blessings. In “Angel In My Pocket” the angel is a source of perpetual good fortune. Specifically, this angel – who in the song is male – is basically a guardian angel who provides protection and guidance. The angel leads them “into the shadows behind the door,” and “into a forest of light.” All this unfolded because the human singing this song “made three wishes, and now he’s mine”.   

“Angel In My Pocket” peaked at #5 in Medicine Hat (AB), #6 for two weeks in Ottawa, #8 in Saskatoon (SK), and Cleveland, #11 in Granite City (IL), #13 in Hamilton (ON), #17 in Buffalo, and #18 in Toronto. The single topped the pop chart in The Philippines and cracked the Hot 100 in the USA.

Their debut album, Forward Your Emotions, was recorded in West Germany. It earned them credibility in the music industry. One To One were nominated for Most Promising Group of The Year at the Juno Awards in 1986. They lost out to Glass Tiger. Leslie Howe was nominated for Producer of the Year, but he lost out to David Foster and his soundtrack to St. Elmo’s Fire. Howe was also nominated at the 1986 Juno’s for Recording Engineer of the Year, but lost out to Gino and Joe Vannelli for their recording of the Black Cars album.

In 1988, One To One recorded their second studio album titled 1-2-1. The debut single was “Hold Me Now”, a tune that was not a cover of the Thompson Twins hit, “Hold Me Now” from 1984. In the midst of the promotion of 1-2-1, the duos label was folding. They got picked up by Herb Alpert’s A&M Records. Subsequently, One To One released a cover of the 1968 Diana Ross & The Supremes hit “Love Child”.

Meanwhile, Leslie Howe produced Alanis Morrisette’s first album, Alanis (1991), and follow up Now Is The Time (1992). One To One went through a transition into new country-pop and a revised billing as One 2 One. However, their third album, Imagine It, didn’t catch on. A single from the album, “Peace Of Mind”, charted into the Top 30 in Liberty (KS), Hamilton (ON) and Vancouver.

Howe and Reny emerged a year later to form Sal’s Birdland. Their sound was now alternative rock. Another name change came with the billing of Artificial Joy Club. In this iteration, they had a #17 hit on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in 1997 titled “Sick And Beautiful”. After the Artificial Joy Club broke up in 1999, Leslie Howe continued to work as a producer. Meanwhile, Louise Reny sang vocals in Ottawa area bands Bubbles Cash and the Rhythm Method. Both of these later bands did covers of music from the 60’s to the 80’s, similar to the music Mainstream did before One To One was formed.

September 3, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Lance Chalmers, Leslie Howe, Bob Moffatt, Michelle Plasse, One To One bio, Canadian Bands.com
Chuck Taylor, Crunchy Act Artificial Joy Club Melts Away Doubters With ‘Sick And Beautiful’ Single, Billboard, August 9, 1997.
Lance Chalmers, Leslie Howe, Bob Moffatt, Michelle Plasse, “One To One,” Canadianbands.com, April 11, 2022.

CFRA 580-AM Ottawa Top Ten | June 27, 1986